MS in Emergency Management Degree Specializations

Self Design

Students create their own learning experience to help broaden their understanding of emergency management and public administration. Students explore the topics that interest them most and closely match their personal and professional goals. Students can choose any three courses from within the School of Public Policy and Administration available to Master level students.

Completion Requirements

63 total quarter credits

Foundation course (3 cr.)

Core courses (40 cr.)

Specialization courses (15 cr.)

Capstone Seminar (5 cr.)

This sequence represents the minimum time to completion. Time to completion will vary by student, depending on individual progress and credits transferred, if applicable. For a personalized estimate of your time to completion, call an enrollment advisor at 855-646-5286.

The program’s core courses are 11 weeks in length and are delivered in a prescribed sequence.

Foundations for Graduate Study

Students in this course are introduced to Walden University and to the requirements for successful participation in an online curriculum. Students work toward building a foundation for academic and professional success as scholar-practitioners and social change agents. They assess the relationship of mission and vision to professional goals and develop a program of study and strategies for online success. Students also explore resources used throughout the program, such as the online Walden University Library. Students engage in course assignments focused on the practical application of professional writing, critical-thinking skills, and the promotion of professional and academic excellence.

Critical Issues in Emergency Management

Students in this course examine the theories and concepts underpinning contemporary emergency management and how to understand the phenomena of natural and human-caused disasters. Students examine the historical context of emergency management, the general process of risk assessment, the emergency management cycle, communications within emergency management and crisis planning, and the general policy and legal framework surrounding the process of emergency management in the United States with a focus on the National Incident Management System (NIMS). Case studies of major catastrophes are used to explore contemporary and practical hazard management. Students can complete the FEMA Emergency Management Institute courses IS-100.b - Introduction to Incident Command System and either IS-800.b - National Response Framework: An Introduction or IS700.a - National Incident Management System as part of this course. Nationally recognized certificates are awarded for successful completion of FEMA courses.

Risk Assessment, Preparedness, and Disaster Mitigation

Risk assessment and mitigation are key components to effective emergency management and all-hazard planning and response. Students in this course focus on the methods and techniques required to assess an organization or government’s risk associated with the protection of human life and capital assets. They study ways to evaluate the social vulnerabilities to disaster and the special needs of at-risk populations, and they explore methods to reduce vulnerabilities and build capacity through structural and nonstructural mitigation. Additionally, students complete the FEMA Emergency Management Institute course IS-393.a: Introduction to Hazard Mitigation as part of this course.

Organizational Management and Leadership

Public and nonprofit leaders in all areas of public administration require a thorough understanding of the expectations of their roles as leaders and managers of diverse and complex organizations. Students use theoretical and applied perspectives from which they study the intricacies of these roles, including the distinction between leadership and management, organizational culture, change management, systems theories, and organizational development. Students gain a practical understanding of these topics through the application of principles and concepts to public, private, and nonprofit organizational settings.

Disaster Response and Recovery

A major concern of disaster response professionals is meeting basic and humanitarian needs of disaster-affected populations. In this course, students explore a range of issues, including evacuation, relocation, and tactical and strategic decisions in the immediate aftermath of an emergency episode. Students study important federal policies related to disaster response and recovery, including the National Response Framework (NRF), and they can gain an understanding of how local, state, and federal policies mesh in response and recovery efforts. Through their exploration, they study how recovery begins once the immediate threat of the emergency wanes and the focus shifts to restoring disaster-affected areas. As part of this course, students complete the FEMA Emergency Management Institute course IS208.a: State Disaster Management.

Current Issues in Homeland Security

Since its inception, the Department of Homeland Security has had a profound impact on public policy and administration. Students in this course are provided with an in-depth analysis of homeland security, including history, concepts, policies, and strategies of prevention and response. Students examine and discuss a range of topics, including ethical issues, telecommunications, technology, threat assessment, contingency planning, and risk management. Students hone their critical-thinking and analytic skills through the application of fundamental concepts and principles of homeland security to case studies and current issues.

Specialization course option

Please select a specialization course for this program.

Terrorism: A Systematic Approach for Emergency Preparedness

Terrorism continues to be a constant threat to the American public, facilitating the need for accurate information, organized resources, and established approaches to respond to emergencies and keep the public informed. Students in this course examine terrorism and related public policy on a local, national, and international level. They also assess the need and function of systemic approaches for emergency preparedness. Students explore and discuss topical issues, such as terrorism and public health, bioterrorism, biosecurity, cyber terrorism, risk assessment, implications for public health, and components of a systemic preparedness infrastructure. Using analytic skills and tools, students assess recommendations that policy makers use in decisions to prevent or respond to terrorism. They also gain hands-on experience initiating the development and/or analysis of a terrorism-preparedness infrastructure.

Applied Research and Evaluation Methods

Organizational credibility, community trust, and fund-raising are increasingly dependent upon demonstration of program effectiveness and success. Students in this course are introduced to research and evaluation methods in the public and nonprofit sectors to study ways to measure and assess a program's effectiveness and potential success as well as to address problems or issues in the field. Students examine the strengths, limitations, and threats to validity; models, quantitative metrics, and tools used to evaluate programs and policies; and legal and ethical issues associated with research and evaluation methods. Using these parameters and other concepts presented in the course, students critically evaluate sample research, consider ways to communicate results to an intended audience, and reflect on trends and challenges that could affect future program evaluation.

Specialization course option

Please select a specialization course for this program.

Terrorism: Legislation and Policy

The events of September 11, 2001, resulted in a new and intense focus on the issue of terrorism in the United States and abroad. Through traditional literature and a wealth of contemporary journal articles and media sources, students explore the history of terrorism, the evolution and international context of terrorist groups, and the causes of and motivations for terrorist acts. They learn about the laws, regulations, and legislation related to terrorism. They also analyze possible future trends in terrorism as well as the current role of the media, governmental agencies, and entities in the prevention of and response to terrorism. Students use concepts presented in the course and additional research to develop a proposal to change and improve an existing counterterrorism policy.

Specialization course option

Please select a specialization course for this program.

Capstone Seminar

In this course, students complete a capstone project through which they apply an action research model that fosters social change in public administration or nonprofit management and leadership. Through this project, students demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and competencies acquired in their master’s degree program. Students also have the opportunity to reflect on how the project and the program have contributed to their personal, scholarly, and professional growth.

Questions about our MS in Emergency Management program?

Questions about our MS in Emergency Management program?

We're here to help. Talk to your personal enrollment advisor for more information today. Please use our International Form if you live outside of the U.S.

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